Make A Joyful Noise
by DarthBubbles
Summary: When millions around the world disappear, two teenagers, along with their friends, must find the truth behind them. When they do, however, their idea to spread the news will change the world. One way or another. OC/OC, Songfic-ish. ON HIATUS
1. Battle of the Bands

**A/N:** So here's that Left Behind story I promised. This focuses on my main OCs, but there'll be plenty of appearances from both the original Left Behind series as well as the Kids one. Also, just to let you know, this is more modernized, so instead of that VHS tape mentioned in the original book back in 1995 (Wow! I was only a year old then!), it's a DVD. There's DVR, texting, all that jazz that we enjoy today. :D Just so y'all don't get all mad at me when pastor Billings shows up on a disc instead of a cassette. Hey, at least I didn't make it BluRay. (Don't even get me started on BluRay- let's just say that I really don't want to see every single pore in an actor's face when I watch a movie. I mean seriously.)

And it's the usual disclaimer stuff. Left Behind and all characters associated belong to Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, aside from OCs created by moi. In addition, all song lyrics remain the property of the lyricist. This goes for all future chapters.

Enjoy, and reviews are welcome, even if I don't get around to replying!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 1: Battle of the Bands**

Fifteen year old Chris Darrel swiftly inserted the cord of his guitar into the amp behind him. He'd been saving his money up for a wireless hookup, but for now, he'd have to stick with the cords. He plucked a few strings on the Telecaster, adjusting the tune with the pegs at the end of the headstock.

"Hey, Chris," Bradley said from behind him. "How is that amp working for you?"

Chris shrugged. "Not bad." He flipped the amplifier on and strummed, sound blaring loudly from the speakers. "Loud enough, I guess," he laughed.

Bradley banged on his drums. "I don't think I'll even need an amp."

Derek chuckled. "No, but if you want only the first row to hear, then we probably won't be getting any award for winning."

Chris laughed. "Hey, where's Freddy?"

"Praying," Derek replied with a roll of his eyes.

Bradley shook his head. "The guy's a great singer, I'll give him that, but he's over the top zealous."

Chris nodded. "I know. But he's our friend, right? We should cut him some slack."

"I'll cut him some slack if he cuts me some," Bradley retorted. "He just needs to realize that I'm not interested in his religion. He could lay off some of the preaching."

Chris shrugged. "Maybe his prayers will convince God to let us win."

Derek and Bradley laughed. "Good one," Derek said.

The truth was, Chris was really interested in what Freddy had to say about God and Jesus. Freddy was a great guy. He was never drunk, never high, never in trouble with the law, and he seemed really happy with his religion. And some of the things he said made a lot of sense. When Chris had told him this, Freddy had urged him to join him in his faith.

"Just give me some time, Fred," Chris had said. "I need to think this over."

"Don't take too long, Chris," Freddy had insisted. "At any moment, Jesus could come back. The Rapture of the church could occur. And if you're not a follower of Him, then you'll be left behind."

"I'm a good person, Freddy. I believe in God, sure. I've never gotten arrested, never gotten into tobacco, and I'm still a virgin. I'll be good to go," Chris had replied.

"No, you won't. The bible clearly states that Jesus is the only way to heaven. How good you are has nothing to do with it."

"Then why are you such a goody good if you don't have to be?"

"To honor my Lord and Savior," Freddy had said.

Chris had dropped the subject. That was about a month ago, and Freddy still pursued getting him to become a Christian. Chris just needed some time: Time in which Freddy was not breathing down his neck about the decision.

"You ready, Chris?"

Chris was startled out of his recollection and looked up at Derek. The bassist was looking inquisitively at him. "Oh, yeah," Chris said.

An announcer introduced them as Maybe In A Day, a band name that Bradley had come up with for the competition, via an online random name generator. They stepped onto the stage and stared out at the students of Mount Prospect High School, who were all gathered excitedly for the battle of the bands. Chris stared at them through brown hair that tumbled down over one of his eyes with a grin.

"Hey, people!" Freddy yelled into the microphone. Their fellow classmates screamed, as they had done for several other bands that had played previously. They seemed excited enough. "From the top," Freddy said to the others, away from the mic.

Chris strummed once on his guitar, holding the chord and letting it ring throughout the auditorium for one long moment. Then, sound from all the others blared out of the speakers.

The song mixed in enough vocal and instrumental solos that they won. And just like that, Chris became a high school celebrity. Not that it would matter. That night, nothing would matter.

Jordan Ryder grinned and clapped along with her friends as the last band finished. She recognized the guitarist as Chris Darrel, the lead forward on the soccer team and the boy who sat next to her in both Geometry and Journalism. And also perhaps one of the hottest guys she'd seen at their school. She enjoyed talking with him in the classes she had with him, and he was a good friend to her, although she didn't see him much. And Freddy Hayes, the singer, went to her church. Well, not her church, really. Her parents' church. Jordan just went because they made her go.

They were so zealous that they even went the extra mile and named their children after things in the Bible. Her twelve year old brothers were Mark and Matthew, and she had been named after a river from the ancient book. Not that she didn't like her name. She loved it. Besides, it was just a river, wasn't it? It didn't have any connection.

The band stepped off the stage, and it was up to the judges to describe the winner. Jordan didn't have any idea how they could come to a decision. From what she thought, it was down two bands: Maybe in a Day, and Fire and Ice.

She looked at the judges, who were waving at the announcer, another student at the school, Jared Williams. Jared jogged over to them and bent down to hear what they were saying. He jogged back onstage with note cards clamped in his hand.

"He's so cute!" Jordan's friend Hannah said, nodding toward Jared. Jordan laughed.

"Um… okay," Jared said. "The winner of this year's Battle of the Bands is… Maybe In A Day!"

Jordan smiled as she applauded with the rest of the students. "Told you that they'd win!"

"You said that they _might_ win," Hannah corrected her.

"That's close enough, though, isn't it?" Jordan shrugged. "Whatever."

On their way out, Chris approached them. "Hey, Jordan!"

Jordan nodded in acknowledgment "Hi, Chris. Congratulations."

He smiled. "Thanks. Anyways, I was wondering if you'd like to come to a party at my house tonight. Kinda last minute, but, you know. We weren't sure if we'd win."

"Your parents let you have parties this late?"

"They aren't home. They're on a flight back from Germany. They were visiting some friends or something."

"Oh," Jordan said, a bit less sure of herself.

"Don't worry. We'll be responsible. No drugs, no smokes, no beer," he reassured her.

"Well…" she winced inwardly at the thought of her parents finding out. But Chris did say that it would be fine, and perhaps this would help them figure out that she didn't want church. "Okay," she gave in.

Chris grinned, which for some reason sped up Jordan's heartbeat. "Awesome. Look forward to seeing you there." Waving at her, he walked away.

"You got invited to a party by Chris Darrel!" Hannah squealed. "He's so HOT!"

"For once, I agree with you," Jordan said. "He's _really_ cute."

"Not to mention popular!"

Jordan lightheartedly pushed her. "Popularity isn't everything."

"No, but it's nice."


	2. The Vanishings

**So... What're Chris and Jordan gonna do when everyone DISAPPEARS?!?

* * *

**

Chapter 2: The Vanishings

Chris turned up the volume of the music. High schoolers crowded his front and back yard, as well as the upstairs, downstairs, and basement of his house. He was just lucky that his parents had enough money for a house as big as this.

Jordan smiled at him. "Your place always a madhouse like this?"

He grinned. "Nah. Only on Saturdays."

She laughed, causing him to blush a bit. "It sure is some party," she said.

He nodded. "Probably the one that everyone will be talking about."

"And I was at it," she said. "What an honor."

Chris chuckled. "And you were actually invited by the host!"

"You mean you didn't invite all these people?"

"I invited five. The guys invited a few, and those people brought others, and they brought friends… and now we have this crazy party with, like ninety people crowded into one house."

The front door suddenly slammed as some guys walked in. Jordan grinned. "Now it's ninety-three."

Chris smiled. "Even worse."

Freddy, who was playing the role of DJ, switched to a slower song. "You want to go find your girlfriend, or something?" Jordan asked, turning to leave.

"Ah, we split up a few months ago. I'm single." Chris rubbed the back of his neck. "You wanna dance, or you have someone else in mind?"

She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Sure. I don't have a boyfriend currently."

"Have you ever had one?" he asked, putting his own hands on her waist gently. "Wait, was that too personal?"

Jordan laughed. "A bit. But I don't mind. I did, but we broke up last year. I've been solo since then."

He grinned. "So nobody has a problem with this, then?"

"Well, my parents might, but they don't control me."

He smiled knowingly. "Yeah, mine don't control me either. I don't let them."

She laughed. Together, they swayed to the music. "You know this song?" she asked, unfamiliar.

"Know it?" he chuckled, a smile playing at his lips. "It's my favorite. Def Leppard." With that, he began to sing along. "Oh, look what you've done... I gotta have you! Photograph, I don't want you. Photograph, I don't need you! All I got is this photograph..."

She smiled at the sincerity in his voice. "You're a really good singer."

One corner of his mouth quirked up in a half smile. "I am? Thanks. Freddy's way better, though."

Jordan seemed to ponder the statement. "I wouldn't say that."

"What?" Chris asked, his eyebrow arching in surprise.

"Well he's not _way_ better. Granted, his voice is more well developed than yours, but he's gotten a lot of practice with it. You have a natural talent, and you don't sing often, do you?"

He shrugged. "Shower."

She giggled, locking her hands around his neck. "I'm sure you can work on that."

At around eleven thirty, Chris started to try and round up the other guests. "Time to leave, guys," he explained. "My parents' flight is coming in soon."

After most of them were finally gone, he turned to Freddy. "I told my parents that I'd be crashing at your place tonight. That okay?"

Freddy shrugged. "Sure."

"You got a ride?" Chris asked Jordan.

"I'll walk," she said.

"No, Freddy and I can take you home," he said. "Nighttime walks are freaky, y'know?"

"I guess so," Jordan acquiesced with a shrug.

He slid into the backseat of Freddy's truck next to her, and his friend started the vehicle. "Almost midnight," he commented. "Will either of your parents mind your being out late?"

"No," they said at the same time.

"Good. I just hope mine don't find out about the party," he laughed.

"Your parents didn't give you permission to have that party?" Freddy asked incredulously. "Chris, that's not right. If I had known that you weren't allowed to throw it, I wouldn't have gone!"

"Come on, Fred, It was just one party."

"It wasn't just-" Freddy's voice was cut off as he suddenly vanished into thin air. His clothes dropped into a pile on the seat. Jordan screamed, and Chris's heart pounded in his chest. The car swerved, and, despite the terror he felt, Chris leapt into the front seat to save their lives.

The truck came to a screeching halt, and Chris looked around. "Freddy?"

"What happened?" Jordan asked.

"I don't know," he said. "FREDDY!" he called again, loudly, frantically.

There was no answer. Chris looked down at the seat. On top of his clothes were Freddy's contacts, and his dental implants. He picked them up, heaving great, shuddering breaths. "What could have happened?"

Jordan gasped. "Oh, no," she said. She put her face in her hands.

Chris put an trembling hand on her shoulder, still clutching the implants in his fists. "What's wrong?"

"I… I need to get home," she said shakily without looking at him.

Chris put Freddy's things in the passenger's seat, and switched the truck into drive. Regardless of the fear that consumed him, he was determined to get her home. Perhaps her parents, although zealous, would have some answers about Freddy. He needed an adult's opinion.

They drove in silence.

Jordan's head spun from the sight she had just seen. She had never known Freddy Hayes well, but seeing him vanish completely nearly caused her to faint. Her heart had leapt clear up to her throat, and it was only a matter of time before she realized what had happened.

From what little of the sermons she had payed attention to at New Hope Village Church and from her parents constantly badgering her about it, she knew where Freddy was. "Oh, no..." she whispered. The Rapture of the Church, which was what her parents had told her would be the day Jesus Christ took his people up to heaven, had occured. It seemed the only logical explanation, that a higher power could have caused this. Still, she had to make sure. She needed to see for herself if it was only Christians who were gone.

Chris turned to her, his brown eyes showing despair. He put a hand on her shoulder; Jordan realized it was shaking uncontrollably. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern in his tone. Somehow he knew that there was something she was thinking about, something that had caused her to whisper the words she did, beyond the current situation.

"I... I need to get home," she muttered, forcing her voice not to crack.

It was a lot to ask, she knew. Chris had just seen his best friend disappear before his very eyes, and he probably had no idea why or how. The fact that he could even hold himself together was an incredible feat, and driving her to her house was an even greater challenge that she was unsure he could meet.

Yet, Jordan was surprised when he moved Freddy's clothes to the passenger seat and switched the truck into gear. Letting out a shaky breath, she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears that threatened to roll down her face. Chris was too nice for his own good. He had shoved aside his personal feelings to be there for her, and yet it still wasn't enough to go to heaven.

She looked up when the truck stopped, seeing her house, looking quite normal. Chris was looking at her, supporting smile tugging at his lips. "You want me to go?"

Jordan thought about it for a moment. "No. But stay only if you want to."

"I really don't have anything better to do," he replied quietly, staring down at Freddy's belongings. "I'll stay in the truck 'till your parents say its ok to come in."

Jordan nodded curtly, trying not to let fear take over her. _"If Mom and Dad are even there,"_ she thought. An involuntary shiver ran up and down her spine. _"No, Jordan. They're gonna be there. There's no such thing as the rapture, it's fine."_ Her thoughts didn't give her much hope, but a light in the window did.

Taking a deep breath, she began to stride towards the door, digging a key out of her pocket as she went. She looked around the dark interior of her house, shuddering at the eerie silence. Passing by the kitchen, she strode up the stairs and into her parents' bedroom, where a lamp was lighting the room. "Mom?" she called, looking around. It was then that she saw that her fears had been confirmed. On top of the queen-sized bed that her mother and father shared, was a book, opened to a certain page. Underneath the book, total horror.

Where her mother should have been, there were only nightclothes. Her Invisalign braces lay on top of the pillow where her head had been, along with her reading glasses and a pair of cheap earrings that Jordan had gotten for her in third grade. With shaking hands, Jordan lifted the book and saw her mom's wedding ring. Gasping, she picked it up, holding it tightly and letting a single tear roll down her cheek. She pulled back the covers to find her father's pajamas and ring, and couldn't help but wonder if he had been sleeping as he was taken. More tears slid down her face, and she attempted to wipe them away with her wrist. "Daddy..." she choked.

It was then that she remembered Mark and Matthew. Pulling away from the bed, she sprinted for her little brothers' room. Inside she could hear sounds, and her hopes were lifted for a moment. As she entered and flipped on the light, she realized that it was nothing but a memory of the twins. Sound was coming from the TV set in their room, the sound of a video game that had been abandoned as the boys disappeared. Jordan rushed to the spot where Mark's clothes lay directly in front of the TV, a game controller in front of them. Biting her lip, she turned to Matt's bed, lifted up the sheets, and saw his favorite pair of baseball pajamas. Jordan lost it at that moment, dropping to her knees and sobbing. She had lost her chance, and her family was gone. Tear after salty tear ran down her cheeks and off her face, dripping onto the pajamas.

She didn't know how long it had been, but she heard Chris tiptoe in, and after a moment, kneel next to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jordan just turned with a muffled cry and wrapped her arms around him, moving her head to rest on his shoulder and crying into the crook of his neck. She didn't care if he was the hottest guy she knew and big time popular at her school. She didn't care if it was the captain of the soccer team and her classmate. Right now, all she cared about was her family, and having a friend there with her.

And right now, the only person who could be there and make it work wasn't even Hannah, her best friend. It was Chris Darrel. And as he hesitantly put his arms around her waist and hugged her closer, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit better.

It had been at least an hour. Chris knew that parent talks took a while, but not that long, especially when there was someone waiting for you outside. He had turned on the radio, to a station that he could hardly ever listen to with his parents around, because it was extremely explicit. Now however, he turned it off, and pulled the key out of the truck's ignition. Pocketing it, he headed for the front door, and knocked. When no one answered, he carefully turned the knob and opened it. He strained to hear, and could only hear some electronic sounds and the sound of a person either laughing or crying. _"Or both,"_ he thought with a shrug.

He followed the sounds up the stairs, and as he passed a lit room, looked inside to see some nightclothes laying out on a bed. Chris quirked his eyebrow. Who would lay their pajamas out on the bed before they went to sleep? He pushed the thought from his head and kept going until he reached another lit room, and as he turned inside it, saw Jordan sobbing over a bed with clothes spread across it yet again. He took a quick look around the room to see that the electronic sounds were a video game, with another pile of clothes in front of the television. Then it hit him. Her family didn't have an odd nightly routine, they had disappeared, just as Freddy had. Jordan's family was gone, as was his hope of discovering the mystery behind it all through them.

He walked over to his friend, knelt next to her and gripped her shoulder tightly, the only thing he could think of to comfort her. She immediately turned and hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder uncontrollably. Chris was taken aback slightly, and he looked down at her, not knowing what to do. Awkwardly, he put his strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, squeezing her in reassurance. "Shh..." he whispered soothingly. "It's gonna be alright. You can make it through this."

He could tell Jordan was trying to hold back her tears, and she managed to choke out a few words. "I can't. They're... They're gone, Chris."

"They're gone, yes," he admitted. "And so is Freddy. But I'm here. And I'm not gonna leave you until you shove me out the door, you got it?" This brought on a new round of tears from her, and Chris, feeling more confident with her now, hugged her tighter.

He had lost track of time as her sobs slowly subdued to sniffles, and Jordan finally fell asleep in his arms, her head on his shoulder. He tilted his head back, not wanting to wake her, and closed his own eyes. As he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of the band, Freddy replaced by two vocalists: himself and, surprisingly, Jordan Ryder.

* * *

**Awh, Chris is so sweet, ain't he? Too bad it wasn't enough to get him into heaven... :(**

**Comments welcome!! (No, really, they are.)**


	3. Growing Shadows

**A/N: There is a minor swear word in this chapter used for clarification on Chris's view toward everything, sorry if you get offended.

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: Growing Shadows**

Chris awoke to two things: the smell of smoke and Jordan frantically shaking his shoulder. "Wha...?" he groaned, taking a moment to recognize his surroundings. _"Oh, crap, what are Mom and Dad gonna think when they realize I slept at a girl's house?" _he thought. However, before the answer came to him, the smell of smoke and Jordan's increasing anxiety made him push the question from his head. "What's going on?" he asked, fully alert.

"Chris! You're awake!" Jordan breathed. "We have to get out of here, the house is on fire!!"

"Huh?" Chris asked. However, looking out the window, he could see orange flames licking at the sides of her home.

"The stove was on in the kitchen, and it was on all night," Jordan rushed through her explanation. "I just needed to make sure you were awake. We need to go. _Now._"

Chris needed no further guidance. He leapt to his feet, taking Jordan's hand. She looked down at their intwined fingers, then back up at him with urgancy and bewilderment. "We need to stick together," he explained quickly. "How do we get outta here?"

"Follow me," she said. He was lead into the hallway, where she looked toward the flames blocking the stairwell. "That complicates things," she muttered.

Chris looked the opposite way, and saw a window, which seemed relatively safe, considering that the fire was on the other side of the house. He tugged gently on her hand. "This way," he said. Once they reached it, Chris opened the window to find that there was a screen blocking it. Frustrated, he pulled out his pocketknife, which he carried almost everywhere, and tore through the material. "I'll go first," he said. He slid through the window and lowered himself until he was hanging onto the sill by just his fingertips. Attempting not to look at the ground ten feet below him, Chris dropped and rolled as he had seen in movies. Surprisingly, it worked, and absorbed some of the shock. However, a sharp pain in his shoulder told him it was a bad idea.

Jordan was looking down at him. "Are you alright?" she called.

"Yeah," Chris winced. "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"I am, okay? Come on!"

"Are you crazy!? I can't do those fancy rolls and jumps like you!"

"I'll catch you!"

"Are you sure? I'm a lot heavier than I look."

"I will, I promise." Chris held out his arms readily. _"All right, Darrel, you've promised, you gotta make this count." _Jordan closed her eyes and Chris braced himself for it. She dropped out of the window, lying flat in the air to make some wind resistance. She plopped right into Chris' arms, and he staggered a bit, wincing as the pain in his shoulder was briefly intensified. However, she was surprisingly light and he had successfully caught her.

"Wow," Jordan breathed as he set her down. "Good thing you're strong or I'd be dead... You're bleeding!"

Chris looked up and down himself before he realized it was his shoulder. "Oh, yeah. Your side yard tore me up. I'll be fine though, we need to go!"

This time, Jordan took his hand. He looked at her, confused. She smiled disdainfully. "We need to stick together. Or more like, _I_ need to stick together."

Chris nodded with a grin, and together they sprinted away, scrambled into the truck, and drove a safe distance from the house. "Well, there goes my home," Jordan sighed. "Now I'm an orphan _and_ homeless."

"But you aren't friendless," Chris said. "If you want, I'm sure my parents won't mind if you crash at my place for a while, if you keep to the guest room. You know, gotta be sure that we're clean."

Jordan shook her head. "I'm proud of being a virgin. I'd never... with you..."

Chris laughed. "Subject change please."

"Well, it seems like we're gonna be spending a lot of time together in the future, so if we could, could we drop by New Hope Village Church?"

"A church?"

"Yes, I need to find something out."

Chris shrugged. "Sure, but lets get to my place, talk to my parents, see if anybody else disappeared, and change before we go."

"Are your parents Christians?" Jordan asked.

"Mom and Dad? No way. Why?"

Jordan looked down at her hands in her lap. "No reason, just wondering."

His eyebrow quirked, but he said nothing about it, instead pulling into his driveway. "I hope I don't get in trouble for driving this thing without an adult in the car. I only have my permit, you know."

Jordan shrugged absentmindedly. "You'll be fine."

Chris looked around at the empty space in front of his large house. "Looks like my parents aren't home yet. That's wierd. Their flight was supposed to be back at least four hours ago. They can't get delayed that much, can they? Maybe more people disappeared."

She nodded as he pulled the key out of the ignition and followed him back into his home.

________________________________________________________

Chris opened up a MacBook Pro and set it on the coffee table in the living room. Jordan plopped down next to him on the couch and picked up a TV remote. "May I?" she asked. He nodded slightly as he typed in a URL for a website. She turned away from whatever he was doing and turned on the TV. As she flipped through the channels, she realized that they were all News broadcasts. She stayed on one channel to see what was so important, and gasped at what she saw.

"Chris," she said, touching his arm. "It's happened everywhere."

He looked up just in time to see a video of a woman giving birth, when, all of a sudden, her stomach began to deflate, and to the right of the screen, a nurse's uniform piled on the floor. "Oh my gosh," Chris muttered. "Rewind that, we have DVR. I need to see that again."

"It looks like they're gonna show it again," Jordan murmured. Sure enough, they did, with the anchorman instructing everybody to focus on the nurse to the right. In an instant, she disappeared, and the tape was paused, so that the ghostly image of her clothing standing alone with nobody inside, was shown.

Jordan shuddered. "And that baby..." she said softly. The News broadcast continued, with different theories on how the disappearances had happened.

"Of course America blames the Russians," Chris chuckled when the prospect was brought up. He clicked a link on the site, and his smile instantly disappeared.

Jordan noticed it. "What's wrong?" She could tell he was holding back tears, which was surprising. She had never seen him cry. He hadn't even cried when Freddy disappeared.

"It's my mom and dad," he said shakily, his voice cracking a bit. "Their pilot disappeared and their plane crashed... They're dead."

It was almost as if Jordan could feel a literal wave of pain coming from him as he broke down, hiding his face in his hands and leaning over his knees with a sob. She wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "I'm here," she said, hoping to comfort him like he had done to her.

"I'm stronger than this," he said.

"Everyone needs to cry sometimes, Chris," she said.

Chris shook his head. "Why'd they have to die? Why'd that pilot have to disappear?" He looked up at her, his eyes red. "What the hell is going on in the world!? How come all this shit is happening to _me_?!"

Jordan frowned at the instance of mild swearing. "Please don't say that." She took his hand and squeezed it. "I know you're angry, but come with me. I think I have an answer."

________________________________________________________________

This time, Jordan drove, no longer using Freddy's truck, but Chris' own black Corvette. _"Boy, he really is spoiled,"_ she thought, admiring the car. As she drove it, she came to love it even more. Like Chris, however, she only had her permit, not her license. But it seemed that the police were down several numbers by the disappearances, anyways, and their force was spread even thinner to cover areas affected by the disappearances, O'Hare International Airport especially.

She spared a glance at Chris, who was staring out the window, fists clenched, brow furrowed, and eyes wet. Her hand gripped his, lying on his armrest. Jordan knew that it was hard for her not to break down over her parents, and they actually went to heaven. His were doomed to an eternity in hell. He didn't know that yet, but he would soon. She hoped.

"Come on," she said gently as they parked at the curb of New Hope Village Church.

"Why are we at a church? Don't tell me you got religion, too."

"Think of it as a duty to Freddy," she chided.

He frowned. "Well, it can't hurt. Why are you so interested?"

"Mom and Dad came here all the time," she said quietly. With a sad smile, she added, "Matt and Mark, too."

"Is there a point to this, other than obligations?"

"I... Well, I don't know. I'm not sure, but I think this has something to do with the disappearances."

He fixed her with a stare. "You're saying that this church made people all over the world disappear? I understand that there's a small connection between Freddy and your family, but I doubt people in Europe don't come to this freak house."

Jordan shook her head. "Not this church, but the church as a whole. All of Christianity."

"So God took those people."

"Maybe. It's a theory, that's all."

Chris laughed bitterly. "Look, Jordan, you're great as a person and all, but you're insane. You really think there's such a thing as an all-powerful God controlling the world? Sounds like a myth to me."

"Well, I don't think, if God exists, that he controls the world, otherwise there wouldn't be anything bad in it, and everyone would believe in Him. But the pastor of this church talked a lot about something like this a lot. And my parents would lecture me about it all the time, too. I didn't wanna believe it, but the fact that they all predicted this tells me it's something to look into."

"Whatever," Chris said with a halfhearted shrug, following Jordan up the steps and into the church.


	4. Rebirth

A/N: _Majorly_ short chapter here. Sorry... :/

**Chapter 4: Rebirth**

Chris felt as if he was walking into a haunted house. The church had an empty feeling, almost ghostly. He saw one lone elderly woman, sitting behind a desk, a box of tissues held in the crook of her arm. She glanced at the two teenagers walking into the room with red, puffy eyes, and attempted to put on a smile. "I know you. You're Jordan, aren't you?"

Jordan nodded. "I... Sorry, I don't know your name."

"Loretta."

"Right. Um, this is Chris. We were wondering what's going on."

"The disappearances? You'd best talk to Bruce about that. He's in his office." Loretta pointed the way, and with a barely murmured word of thanks to the old woman, Jordan led Chris to the office.

"I think this guy was one of the pastors," she said, frowning in confusion. "Maybe I'm wrong."

She cracked the door open, and a middle-aged man's eyes snapped up, staring at them through wire-rimmed glasses. "Come in," he said with a welcoming wave of his hand. "I'm Bruce Barnes, and I'm sure you have many questions about the Rapture."

"So it is the Rapture, then?" Jordan asked, voice quivering slightly before she seemed to wrestle it under control.

"Indeed," Bruce said with a nod. "I recognize you, you're the daughter of James and Ann Ryder, correct?"

Jordan's breath audibly caught at the thought of her parents, but she nodded. "But if the Rapture's real, then they're in... well, you know, somewhere better than here, right?"

"Yes, they are, and for that we should rejoice, though we will miss them."

Chris looked from Bruce to Jordan, confused beyond belief. What was this Rapture they were talking about? Did it have anything to do with the disappearances?

Jordan nudged him with an elbow, shaking him from his thoughts. He glanced at her, eyebrow raised slightly as he tried to comprehend the movement. She merely nodded toward Bruce, who had been trying to speak with him, apparently.

"I don't think I've seen you before," the man said, pushing his glasses up.

Chris shrugged. "I've never been to church. My friend went here though. Freddy Hayes?"

"Ah, yes," Bruce said, a look on his face as if something just clicked within his mind. "Quite the role model for most of the younger students here. Do you know if he has vanished?"

Anger at the man for reminding him of the incident in the truck nearly overcame Chris, and he answered with a curt, wordless nod. Jordan spoke up for him, "He saw Freddy disappear right before his eyes. We both did. It's kind of hit him hard."

"I can talk for myself!" Chris growled, glaring at Jordan. He instantly regretted it, seeing the look on her face, but didn't speak up beyond his outburst.

"Ah," Bruce said simply. "And you don't understand why. Freddy is in heaven, son. And he disappeared, along with all other true Christians, to mark the beginning of a seven year Tribulation, a second chance to put our faith in God."

"So God took the only influence he ever had on me so that I'll believe in him? Not smart."

"You have Miss Ryder, here," Bruce said, gesturing to the girl.

"She's told me in school that she doesn't believe in God."

Bruce held up a disc, from which light glinted off and onto the wall behind them, making a ring of light against the white of the wall. "I'd like for both of you to see this. It's a DVD of Pastor Billings, who has since disappeared, explaining that the Rapture was going to happen before anyone disappeared. If you look at the date of the recording, it's one week ago." He inserted the disc into the DVD player, and pressed the play button. It showed a man, too old for Chris' liking, sitting on a desk.

"If you are watching this," he said, "then I am likely not in this world anymore, along with some of your friends or family, I am sure. Don't worry, they haven't been killed, or taken by aliens, or whatever other ideas that have come to your mind. They are in a good place, better than this earth, and it is good that they have gone. While I am sure you miss them terribly, know that this is for their good, and that you do have the chance to see them again." Chris leaned forward at that, his attention finally grabbed. "Simply accept God, and his Son, Jesus Christ, into your heart as your Lord and Savior, and you have been reborn. Because of all that's happened, you, those who have been Left Behind, have been tasked with a mission: to bring as many people to Christ as you can before the seven year tribulation ends, and God takes all who believe in Him up to heaven. The journey of a lifetime is just beginning, and you are right in the middle of it. I cannot force you to choose the right path, only guide you toward it. I hope to see you in heaven, but until then, God be with you."

The screen faded to black. Chris glanced at Jordan, whose tears had slipped down her cheeks silently. He touched her hand lightly in reassurance, and turned to Bruce. "So why aren't you in heaven, if you believe in God?" He meant for it to be a question, but it came out as an accusation.

Bruce shook his head sadly. "I never truly believed. Sure, I preached it, I knew the Bible forwards and backwards, but in the end, the only thing that mattered was whether I believed or not. And I didn't. I now see my mistake, and I have repented and become reborn in Christ."

"How?" Jordan asked. "I believe, I need to do this. I was wrong and I know it."

Bruce smiled. "If you would bow your head and repeat this prayer with me. 'Dear Lord, I recognize my sin, and that Jesus is your Son. I know I need you. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Amen.'"

Tears ran down Jordan's cheeks as she bowed her head and repeated the prayer, voice quaking. Looking up, she smiled, still choked up. Chris frowned. "How do you feel?"

She turned and took his hand. "Excellent."

Bruce put a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to the family." He then turned to Chris. "What about you, son?"

"Why should I? I mean, I don't doubt He's powerful. Not after Freddy. But what's the point? He took my parents!"

"Your parents are in heaven and hope to-" Bruce was cut off sharply by the teenager.

"No, they're not! They're _dead_. They didn't even believe, but their pilot did! Killed everyone on that plane, Christian or not!!" Hot tears stung his eyes as his voice rose in decibel, until he was screaming at the man. In his subconciousness, he had to give the pastor credit for just standing there calmly while he vented.

"It is all for God's master plan. You don't know for sure whether they didn't give their lives to Christ while on that plane before it crashed. Another passenger may have told them."

"How could someone's view of God change in just one conversation?" Chris asked, demanding an answer.

Jordan squeezed his hand lightly in response, as if to provide a case in point, and it was as if a train had hit him, how everything just clicked.

Once, around age ten or so, he'd climbed a tree in his grandparents' backyard. There, he'd relaxed on the branches, singing quietly to himself. After a while, he had become so immersed in his music that he lost grip and fell, landing hard on his back. There, he could do nothing but lay there, struggling to inhale and exhale.

That was exactly what he felt like when he felt that squeeze from Jordan. Everything Freddy had told him, what the old man on the video explained, the disappearances, it all made _sense_. It was all confirmed by that extra pressure in his palm. Chris' head swam as it all was digested in his mind, and he gripped the arm of a chair to keep from falling.

He glanced up at Bruce. "What was that prayer again?"


	5. The Purpose

A/N: This one's long. So it works. :)

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Purpose**

One week later, things had become pretty routine at Chris' house. Jordan, homeless, lived there with him, taking his parents' old room. She felt awkward in there, but he'd reassured her, and it was becoming more comfortable as the days went by.

As soon as they'd gotten home from New Hope, Chris had fished around various places in his house and found a copy of the Bible, which he and Jordan read together at least once every night. To take care of the bills on the house, Chris had somehow transferred all of his parents' money into his account. The owner of the skate shop he had worked for went in the disappearances, so he planned on applying for a few new jobs within the next week. Jordan actually got a slight raise from her manager, since nearly half of the employees at that clothing store disappeared and they were now short on staff.

With all that taken care of, and school not starting for about two weeks, they really had time to delve into the word of God. Not only that, but Chris did some searching on YouTube, and had gained access to hundreds of worship songs.

He had completely wiped his iPod, replacing the data with songs by several Christian artists. After a day, he was attempting one of the songs on his guitar. It amazed Jordan how quickly he caught on to tunes, and how he had such a natural talent. Sometimes, when she went to bed, she would stay awake, press her ear to the wall, and listen to him play for hours, sometimes singing, sometimes not.

One night, he brought his guitar into the living room for their little study session. "Thought I'd give this a try," he explained. And he began to play. And sing, softly at first, then getting louder as his self conciousness was drowned out by his praise for God. Together, it was beautiful, as he worshipped God with a passion she'd never seen, a passion that caused her to join in.

"A thousand times I've failed

Still your mercy remains

And should I stumble again

I'm caught in your grace

"Everlasting, your light will shine

When all else fades

Never ending, your glory goes

beyond all fame.

"In my heart and my soul

I give you control

Consume me

From the inside out, Lord

Let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love you

From the inside out.

"Your will above all else

My purpose remains

The art of losing myself

In bringing you praise

"Everlasting, your light will shine

When all else fades

Never ending, your glory goes

Beyond all fame.

"In my heart and my soul

I give you control

Consume me

From the inside out lord

Let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love you

From the inside out.

"Everlasting, your light will shine

When all else fades

Never ending, your glory goes

Beyond all fame.

"And the cry of my heart

Is to bring you praise

From the inside out lord

My soul cries out

"My soul cries out

To you

"My soul cries out

To you

"To You

To You

"In my heart and my soul

I give you control

Consume me

From the inside out Lord

Let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love you

From the inside out.

"Everlasting, your light will shine

When all else fades

Never ending, your glory goes

Beyond all fame.

"And the cry of my heart

Is to bring you praise

From the inside out Lord

My soul cries out

"Everlasting, your light will shine

When all else fades

Never ending, your glory goes

Beyond all fame.

"And the cry of my heart

Is to bring you praise

From the inside out Lord

My soul cries out

"From the inside out Lord

My soul cries out

"From the inside out Lord

My soul cries out

"From the inside out Lord

My soul cries out"

As the song ended, Jordan glanced up at Chris. He gave her an embarrassed little half-smile, which she found to be incredibly cute, and winced. "I- um, sorry. I just kinda had to sing, you know?"

"Chris, you sounded amazing. You have a really good voice. I wish I could sing like that."

He cocked his head in confusion, his blue-grey eyes showing slight admiration. "You do. You sound better, in fact. I haven't heard anyone sing like you, not Freddy, not even on the radio."

She blushed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, showing her the smile again. She felt her heartbeat speed up. For a while, nothing was said, they just stared at each other, both obviously waiting for the other to break the silence. It was Chris who broke eye contact embarrassedly, cracking open the Bible. "Okay, um, Ephesians 2."

"'But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.'" Jordan read aloud. "Well, we know that already, don't we?"

"Look, skip ahead to verse ten," Chris said, gently moving her fingers from in front of the text."See, it says, 'For we are god's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.' This whole section about being made alive in Christ comes down to the point that we've been saved so that we can save others. So what Paul's saying is that we need to help others see the truth as we have."

"What about your friends Derek and Bradley? Were they believers?"

Chris frowned. "No. I don't see where you're coming from, though. We're reading Ephesians, here, and you're talking about the other members of my band."

"We need to help _others_ see the truth as we have, you just said," Jordan said. "They seem like a logical place to start, and then... well, I'm getting ahead of myself here."

"No, what were you going to say?"

Jordan looked away, focusing her clear blue eyes on her shoe in embarassment. "It's a stupid idea, nevermind."

She attempted to keep the blush from appearing on her cheeks as Chris gently took her chin in his hand and raised her head to make eye contact. "I don't think any idea you could ever have would be stupid. Tell me."

A sigh escaped her lips in annoyance. "You're pretty darn persuasive, you know that?"

"How so?"

"You just have this... way with people. You're probably better with girls than guys, I'd guess. You just... You get this intense look in your eyes, and it's almost impossible to refuse. I mean, your eyes are just... and your face... and... yeah," she stuttered, her cheeks darkening with every word she said. _"Just shut up, Jordan, you're making it worse,"_ she thought to herself.

Chris smiled, seeming to hide a bigger grin behind it. "So does that mean you're gonna tell me your supposedly 'stupid' idea?"

"Yeah, sure. I was just thinking, well, if they were believers... if, you know... you could... turn yourselves into a Christian band? I mean, you have so much influence now because of the battle of the bands, and you could really reach out to the students."

"We'd need a singer."

"I know, I know. I said it was stupid, but you have a good voice and-"

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Jordan, you're a genius, and this is a great idea, I mean it. But I'm not a good singer in front of crowds. But if I'm singing with you... to you... maybe it'll work."

Jordan frowned as she took in the thought. She had never even known that she could sing well. but then again, Chris hadn't until she had told him. Slowly, as the thought of glorifying God and making a stand sunk in, a grin spread across her face. "I'm in."

* * *

Bruce nodded, taking in the idea. "So you plan on forming a Christian band as your method of spreading the word of God?"

Chris nodded. "In a nutshell, yes. I mean, since all the other Christian bands most likely disappeared."

"Well, it's funny, actually," Bruce said. "A few other teens from the area came to me a little after you did, and they also became believers. Granted, they were slightly more difficult to convince, but it worked. And they've started a little group of believers now and call themselves the Young Tribulation Force. Anyways, they've been asking me if we could do a service just for teens here at New Hope. I'm for it, but we need to get sermons together, and wait for things to settle down before we start it up. If you would be willing to lead in worship, I'm sure they'd greatly appreciate it."

"It's cool how God works that way," Jordan said with a smile. "Who's in the Young Tribulation Force? Anyone we'd know?"

"Well, Judd Thompson and Lionel Washington were much like you, they came to this church but weren't believers."

"Oh, yeah, I know them," Jordan said.

"Me too," Chris added. "Well, I know Judd. He was on the football team my Freshman year, but then he dropped it. I think he was considering it this year, though. Wanted to finish up senior year is a bang, I guess. I hope he does, he was a pretty good quarter... Sorry. Continue."

"I can understand Judd being left behind, but Lionel? He seemed like a true believer."

Bruce nodded sadly. "So did I. It's all an act. Or it was."

"Anyone else?" Chris asked. "Like, someone who would go to our school?"

"There are two more in the group. Ryan Daley, who you probably wouldn't know, he's in Junior High. And then there's Vicki Byrne."

"Vicki?!" Chris asked, surprised. "I'd never think she'd become a believer."

"I don't know her," Jordan said.

"You don't? Red hair, from a trailer park, total druggie?"

"Oh, yeah, I do. You hung out with her for a while, didn't you?"

"Yeah, Derek had a thing for her, so... Anyways, I guess anyone can change."

Bruce smiled. "That's the idea. I'll talk to Judd about it, he seems to be the ringleader there. As for you, school starts next week, I think. Better get prepared. The persecution there is always greater than anywhere else."

Chris winced. School. He'd completely forgotten.

* * *

"Nicolae Carpathia High School," Chris repeated, mimicking the woman on the TV announcing the name change of Mount Prospect High in an annoyed tone.

Jordan frowned. "What's eaten you?"

"This Carpathia guy. I don't know, something about him rubs me the wrong way."

"Well, the UN has sure been quick to promote him," Jordan agreed.

"Not the UN, the GC," Chris corrected. "Good ol' Nick's changed it to the 'Global Community,' remember? Sounds like something you'd hear off Barney, right?" He switched to a mocking voice of the purple dinosaur from the children's show. "Hello, kids. Let's all join the Global Community!"

Jordan laughed. "That's not exactly what comes to mind. But Bruce's been talking a lot about that guy recently, and he sure seems to be on to something about him."

"We'll talk to him tonight at the meeting he planned, don't worry. Still, Nicolae High, it doesn't sound very appealing."

"I'm sure there are a few others who are with you on that."

"Yeah, maybe. Hey, speaking of others, we need to talk to Bradley and Derek, along with those YTF kids."

"YTF?"

"Young Tribulation Force? It's a mouthful, YTF is a lot quicker."

She giggled. "Whatever you say. Hey, did you see what our new mascot is?"

Chris groaned. "We were the Vikings, I loved that mascot! What is it now?"

"The Doves."

Jordan couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face, jaw dropped, brow furrowed, eyes wide. She also couldn't help realizing how cute he looked when he was speechless.

"The _Doves_?!" he asked incredulously. "Do you know how much the other schools are gonna make fun of us now? I mean, it's bad enough we had to drop down to 4A, but now we're _Doves_."

She smiled. "Well, it is named after a guy who is supposedly gunning for world peace."

"World peace," he repeated. "Because that always goes down _so_ well. Hey, I'm gonna invite Derek and Bradley over, maybe we can take them to the church tonight."

"Sounds good," Jordan said. "Go ahead."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit one of his speed dial numbers. There was barely any time for the dial tone to sound before Bradley's voice sounded. "Chris! Man, I thought you were gone with those disappearances."

Chris chuckled. "Nah, I'm here. You have any theories about that yet?"

"No, but I've heard a lot."

"Yeah, I'll bet you have. Look, I know what happened. For real."

"Dude, lay it on me, I wanna know," Bradley said expectantly.

"Not yet," Chris said. "I wanna tell you in person. Come on over. I'm gonna call Derek, too, and-"

The drummer cut him off. "Derek?"

"Yeah, man, he's part of the band."

"Hold up. You don't know?"

"Brad, what're you talking about?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, dude, but... Derek's dead."

* * *

_Inside Out_ by Hillsong United.


	6. Sorting It All Out

It was as if someone had come up and punched Chris in the gut. His fingers trembled as he attempted to keep the phone at his ear. "What?" he asked.

"He committed suicide the day after the disappearances," Bradley replied. "Sorry, man, I thought you knew."

"I swear, Bradley, if this is a joke, it isn't funny."

"I'm not joking, I promise. I'd never joke about something like that."

Chris let out a long, shaky breath. "I want to talk to you face to face. Come over, ASAP."

In less than a minute, he could hear the rev of Bradley's Chevy in the background, as his friend said, "I'm on my way."

Chris hung up, dropping the phone on the couch and sitting down before he could fall. Freddy. Mom. Dad. Derek. How many more people he cared about would he lose? Why would Derek even commit suicide?

Jordan walked in at that moment, eyes focused on the screen of her phone, texting furiously on a full keyboard. Once she glanced up, however, she immediately knew something was wrong. She pocketed the phone and sat next to him, watching as he attempted to put on a smile and failed miserably. "What is it?" she asked, putting a hand on his knee.

"Bradley's coming over, so we need to think of what to say to him."

"Okay, that's great. Now what's wrong?"

Chris looked up at her. "Nothing." He attempted to push up off the couch, but she took his hand and yanked him back down.

"I'm not an idiot, Chris."

"Derek isn't coming because he died," he said, trying to keep his voice even.

Jordan gasped. "What happened?"

"Suicide. I don't know the details, that's why Bradley's coming over."

"Chris... I'm sorry." She hugged him, which was becoming more and more comfortable as they spent time together. It didn't even feel awkward anymore.

"It's okay, I'll live," he said. "Anyways, we gotta get together our little sermon for Bradley."

"I don't have any idea how to do that, Chris. Look, we'll pray about it, okay?"

"Separately or together?"

"Whatever floats your boat."

"Together, then. I'll pray." He squeezed her hand as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Dear God, uh, you know I'm not good at this, but thanks for being here to listen anyways. Please give us the right words to say to Bradley as Jordan and I try to tell him about you, Lord, and open his heart so that we can get straight to him and convince him. Um, you're great, and I love you, and in Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Jordan smiled at him and gave him another hug for reassurance. For some reason, he felt compelled to reach up and run his fingers through her hair.. The thought annoyed him. _'Why?'_ he thought. That was what he used to do with his ex, and it took him at least a month or so to get to that was a slight inner conflict as he struggled to figure out whether he should or should not do it, and in that moment, Jordan pulled away and began to text again.

Teenage girls.

What was wierd was that Chris had never realized that there was anything close to romantic between them until it slapped him in the face. And now, he was too scared to do anything about it, because the fear of rejection was too strong. That, and he was afraid that their current friendship would be ruined if she refused. What if she never sang with him again?

He shook the thoughts from his head. The end of the world was near, and he was supposed to be pursuing a closer relationship with God, not Jordan.

Before he could think any more on the matter, Bradley knocked on the door.

* * *

"Dude, I understand you're in a lot of pain right now, but turning to fairy tales isn't gonna help anyone." Bradley gave Chris a concerned look.

"Look, Brad. I know this is a lot to take in, but you know me. I'd be the last person to push you into this unless I thought you really needed it."

"I don't know, man. For all I know, Freddy might have gotten through to you in the last minute."

"Do you not think it's a coincidence that all the people who disappeared happened to be into God?"

"Not everyone who followed that religious crap disappeared. Muslims? Jews? Buddhists? They're all here."

"But the Christians aren't. And that's the point."

"What's the difference?" Bradley asked, sounding a little irritated.

Chris pulled out his Bible, noticing his friend's eyes rolling. "Look, this one verse here is what sets Christians apart from any other religion," he explained, pointing at John 3:16.

"That's the one that Freddy wrote down on pretty much all the stuff he owned, right?" Bradley asked. Chris nodded, smiling at the memory of Freddy taping the verse on nearly all the amps they used, and the rest of the boys just brushing off his subtle hints.

__

"I was so stupid then,"

Chris thought to himself. He shook the thoughts from his head and focused once again on Bradley. "'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' What it means, Brad, is that God couldn't stand by and watch us all go to Hell because of our sins. And since everyone sins, we're all doomed to Hell, so-"

"Wait, you're saying that no matter what, whether you're good or bad, you go to Hell?"

"It doesn't matter if you're good or bad. Freddy told me that a lot, but I didn't listen. No matter what, you've sinned, and to get into heaven you have to be a hundred percent perfect, not ninety nine percent."

"Freddie didn't ever get into the crap we did, though, and obviously he thought he needed God."

"Because he did. _Everyone_ sins, Brad. There are obvious sins, like murder, theft, breaking the law, stuff like that. But the 'little' things count, too. Little white lies, disobeying your parents, hanging with the wrong people, pre-maritial sex, those are all tickets to Hell. Only one person was perfect enough to get to heaven, and that was God's son. Because God loved all of us, he sacrificed Jesus, who died a perfect man, and therefore covered all our sins for life. It's sorta like insurance. As long as you believe that Jesus is God's son and accept him to be your Savior, you go to Heaven, no matter how much you sin."

"If it didn't matter how much he sinned, then why did Freddy try so hard not to?"

"I asked him that once, too. He said it was because he wanted to set an example. You knew Freddy, and how he loved anyone and everyone he met. He hoped that people would see something different in him, so that he could help them find God and ensure they didn't go to Hell. It's sort of the same here. I love you Brad, I don't wanna see you go to Hell."

"This is a little too much to push on me all at once, Chris. I... I don't think so. Just... I don't know. I really don't know what to make of this."

"Well, just think about it. But if you'll excuse me, I need to check back in on Jordan."

"Alright, then. But hey, all this God stuff aside, you're letting a chick stay in your house?"

"Hers was burned down. We're being responsible. Our relationship isn't even like that. We're just really good friends."

Bradley shook his head. "You always have had trouble realizing your feelings. Look, in just the short time I've been here, I've noticed it. The way you look at her, the way you seem like you want to protect her from anything and everything that comes her way, and now you feel like you have to go check up on her. I don't know man, sure seems like more than 'really good friends.'" He winked as he made his way toward the door. "She's cute though, dude. You better make a move before she's taken." The door opened and closed, and Bradley was gone before Chris could process what his friend had just said.

* * *

"You can come on in, you know," Chris said from his position of lying down on his bed, tossing a football up and catching it.

Jordan shrugged. For the entire week and a half that she'd been living in his house, she had never set foot in his room. It almost seemed like a forbidden territory. The fact that she was allowed in made Jordan feel trusted, and with that a strange sensation of joy. Why she was so excited about the outcome, she didn't have a clue. Posters covered the walls, overlapping each other, most from heavy metal and rock bands that she liked. A Les Paul electric guitar sat in a stand in one corner, next to a Stratocaster. The two guitars he used most, his black Telecaster and his maple Taylor acoustic, leaned against his nightstand. His iPod was hooked up to an iHome on his desk, which was softly playing a Switchfoot song. She walked in and sat on the edge of his bed, turning around to face him and crossing her legs 'Indian-style.' He glanced at her and smiled slightly before tossing and catching the football again. "So how'd it go with Bradley?" she asked

"Oh... uh... I don't know."

Jordan's eyebrow quirked in confusion. "How can you not know?"

"Well, it was all... it's hard to explain. It would feel like I'd be getting through to him, and then he'd say something that threw it all off. At the end, he didn't make a decision. I'm not good at this. It took some convincing for me to even come to Christ, and I had Freddy nagging me about it all the time. Brad's just... I don't know. Fred was his only influence, and even then Freddy would spend more time on me because I was closer to getting it. Maybe if I hadn't shown so much interest... or if I was better at this..." He tossed up the football again dejectedly, but Jordan caught it before he could get his fingers on it, instead grabbing her hands. Jordan could have sworn her cheeks reddened considerably.

"You can't seriously be blaming yourself for this," she said, releasing the football.

"I can."

"It's not your fault, you did everything you could."

"But it wasn't enough."

"Everything works according to God's plan, remember? It'll work out eventually." She touched his arm in reassurance. "How exactly did the conversation end?"

"Well, we were talking about..." his voice trailed off. He winced slightly and tried smiling at her.

She just gave him an accusing stare. "What were you talking about?"

"Well... stuff. About... stuff."

"Chris!"

"What?" he asked, holding his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay. We were talking about... uh... you?"

"Me?"

"Uh. Yeah. Now you see why I didn't really wanna talk about it."

"What did you guys say?"

"None of your biz."

She playfully punched him in the chest. "When it's about me? It's _so_ my biz."

"He just said you were cute," he muttered.

"And that's all? No lying."

"Well, pretty much. That was the gist of it."

"And do you agree?"

"Agree about what?"

"Me being cute."

"Well, sort of?"

"What do you mean by 'sort of?'"

Chris looked down, presumably trying to hide the blush that was quickly heating his cheeks. "Well, when it comes to girls' looks, guys have three different categories. There's cute, which is like 'She looks great, but I wouldn't date her for it.' And then pretty, which is more of 'Dang, she might be worth going after. And then there's hot, which is 'I gotta have her!' Of course, I'm not shallow like that, so there really isn't much of a point. I'm more of the type of guy who looks for a good personality."

"But which category was I in?"

Chris didn't answer for a while. He took a deep breath and glanced up for a split second before looking down again. "Um... Hot..."

Jordan bubbled with excitement, which she forced to keep from showing. "Thanks!"

"Uh-huh," Chris mumbled embarassedly.

"But you said she has to have a good personality... like what?"

"Well... She's gotta love God, of course. And she's gotta have a good sense of humor, and be able to make me smile. And she's gotta love me for who I am, not for my looks, or music, or popularity. She's gotta know how to be there for me, and how to pull me up off my butt when I feel like I can't do something." He looked up at her, and for the first time she realized how attractive he was, with his dark hair tumbling down over his deep brown eyes. She _was_ a sucker for brown eyes. "Kinda like you," he said quietly. A look of determination and realization came over his face, and before she could ask what it was, he'd sat up, taken her face in his hands gently, and pressed his lips to hers.

It was like she knew what heaven was like already.

* * *

Chris winced, feeling the blush heating his cheeks as he dug himself deeper and deeper into a situation that he just knew wouldn't end the way he wanted. Jordan just sat there, head cocked slightly in a way that didn't assist Chris's dilemma, expecting answers. "What category was I in?" she asked, something nearing excitement partially veiled in her voice.

Would he really answer this honestly? He'd had the same thoughts about her since the eighth grade, but had never really acted on them. Sure, there were several other girls at their school that fit into the 'hot' category, and he'd dated most of them. But Jordan had always been different, untouchable. Even now. Chris looked back down, tracking backward through what he'd just told her. With a sigh, he kept his eyes on the football and answered, figuring that he'd made her think he cared most about personality, not looks. That it wouldn't matter anyway. "Uhh... Hot?"

He took in a deep breath, anticipating a negative response from Jordan, but all he recieved was a grin and a sincere "Thanks!"

Chris looked down again, gripping the football tightly. "Uh-huh," he replied quietly.

"You said she has to have a good personality," Jordan continued. "Like what?"

__

"Great,

" Chris groaned mentally. What _was_ his dream girl like? His standards had definately changed since he became a Christian. "Well..." he stuttered, thinking hard. "She's gotta love God, of course." He thought some more. "And she's gotta have a good sense of humor, and be able to make me smile. And she's gotta love me for who I am, not for my looks, or music, or popularity." He then remembered one of the most important aspects, which he had always found to be lacking in every girl he'd dated. "She's gotta know how to be there for me, and how to pull me up off my butt when I feel like I can't do something." He thought over those traits, and nodded approvingly. Yes, that would be the perfect girl. Then, as the thought sunk in, and he glanced at his friend sitting next to him, her smile reaching her deep blue eyes as she tucked a strand of soft blonde hair behind her ear and waited for him to continue. Jordan. Jordan! She loved God, she could make him laugh or smile no matter the circumstance, she loved him for him, and she was there for him 24/7. Just before this embarassing conversation, she'd been forcing him to keep trying with Bradley. Realization struck in that moment. Jordan _was_ his dream girl. "Kinda like you," he whispered, more to himself than to her. Determination then overcame his actions as he sat up, took her face in his hands, and kissed her. She did nothing for a moment, and Chris began to doubt himself. _"You idiot!_" he thought to himself. But then, her hands found their way to the back of his head, as she held him there, willing him to keep the kiss going. Eventually, both pulled back for the sole reason of needing to breathe. Once they regained their composures, Chris gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"It's okay. It's more than okay, actually. You can do that anytime you want!" she laughed a little, breaking the tension of the moment.

He touched his lips to hers again for a fleeting second. "Like that?" he murmured, smiling a little. Then he pulled back. "Sorry, I'll be serious. I don't know what I was thinking there. It was stupid. We're... it's... The Tribulation, remember? I'm just... Look, Jordan, I'd love to be with you. But of all times, I don't think this is the best to be pursuing a relationship."

Jordan nodded. "I understand. But this might be the only chance we get. We know that it's just gonna get worse. And both of us probably won't survive."

"I know... Maybe we could... but, I'm not sure. Let me think about it, at least."

Jordan nodded with an understanding smile. "I'll wait."

"Thanks," he said, grinning. He slid his hand around hers, entwining their fingers. "Maybe... Maybe we could start slow?"

Jordan laughed, tossing her hair out of her face with a flick of her head. "I'd like that."

"Alright, then." The vibration of his phone broke the moment, and he released her hand to take it out of his pocket. "Text? Maybe it's from Bradley," he muttered. But when he glanced at the phone, the name _Judd Thompson_ flashed across the screen. "Oh, right! The YTF meeting at New Hope!" he said. "We gotta be there in an hour." Chris glanced down at the screen.

__

Nice 2 no another believer! This is Judd, I played football with u junior year, not sure if u remember. Anyways, the whole Young Trib Force looks forward 2 the meeting 2nite. Bruce said u wanna do worship, that's great. U play guitar, rite? Bring one 2nite, we wanna hear u. :)

"Performance tonight?" Jordan asked, reading over his shoulder. She picked up his Taylor and handed it to him. "An hour to practice, right?"

He grinned. _"Perfect girl indeed._" Maybe things between them would work themselves out. With a strum, he began to sing.

Jordan joined in gladly.

* * *

"I'm here again,

a thousand miles away from you.

A broken mess,

just scattered peices of who I am.

"I tried so hard,

Thought I could do this on my own.

I've lost so much along the way.

"Then I see your face,

I know I'm finally yours.

I find everything

I'd thought I lost before.

You call my name,

I come to you in pieces

So you can make me whole."

Jordan and Chris belted out the chorus of Red's song with all they had. Jordan could feel her passion for God fuelling her voice, and for a moment, Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan weren't there. It was just her, Chris and his guitar, and most importantly, God. When the song ended, she was almost sad that it had to be over. The simplicity of singing for God was when she felt closest to Him, and in the horrid times that had come upon the world, she felt the light. Chris finished up with a few strums, then the two of them looked up at the Young Tribulation Force, expecting and dreading the results. Well, Jordan was dreading them. Chris had performed before, so perhaps he didn't worry too much about criticism. That, and he had no reason to worry. His voice was amazing, and Jordan wasn't so sure about hers.

"Wow," Vicki said simply, smiling at them. The redhead before Jordan was nothing like the one she'd seen around campus before the disappearances. A person who used to walk around, sulky and jumped up on drugs and alchohol, now sat radiant and smiling, full of joy. And Jordan also noticed something else she'd never noticed with the old Vicki. _"She's really pretty."_ Her hair was the perfect red that people only dreamed of having, and that could hardly be imitated with dyes, and her eyes, no longer caked with dark makeup, shone a bright green. Jordan would kill to have eyes like that. "Just... Wow. I'd never thought either of you would sound like this. Chris, to think that's been hiding behind the jock I've known... whoa. And you all just let Freddy take over and sing! And Jordan... You were from a completely different clique than I was... I'd never thought that you'd sing like a... like a..."

"Like an angel!" Ryan supplied, grinning.

Vicki smiled at the preteen, then nodded. "He's right. You do have the voice of an angel." Several mumurs of agreement chorused throughout the room.

Jordan blushed. "Thanks."

"No doubt you guys are sincere about it, too," Lionel said. He scratched at the back of his dark neck. "I think they've got the gig, right Judd?"

Judd leaned back in his chair. He was just as Jordan had remembered him, brown haired, blue eyed, tall, and gorgeous. The only difference was that he was clean shaven, instead of the tidy goatee that he'd obsessed over for months. "Well, I'm sure God likes them. And so do I. You got the job. First service is two weeks after school starts. Hopefully we can find a way to get some of the students to come."

"We'll help out, of course," Chris said. "I'm already working on Bradley. We'll need a drummer after all."

"What about Derek?" Vicki asked.

Chris winced audibly. Jordan slid her hand into his reassuringly as he explained what had happened to the bassist to Derek's ex-flame.

"Oh my gosh," Vicki whispered, putting a hand to her mouth, which had dropped open in shock. Judd put a hand on her knee to comfort her.

"You okay, Vick?" he asked, concern thick in his voice. Jordan cocked her head slightly in confusion. Maybe Judd and Vicki had something like she and Chris did. It certainly seemed that way as the two embraced.

"I'll be fine," Vicki said, wiping her eyes. And just like that, the two separated, seeming to get as far as possible away from each other, casting embarassed glances at each other before refusing to look in the other's general direction.

Maybe not.

"Yeah, seems like you'll need a bassist, too, then," Ryan said.

"Don't worry, we'll get one. For now, we'll keep it acoustic," Chris said.

"Sounds good," Judd said. "See you at school tomorrow. Sit with us at lunch?"

"Yeah," Jordan said. They all stood up to leave.

"Hey, Judd?" Chris asked, turning around again. "You're trying out football again this year, right?"

"I'm not sure, Chris," he said, smiling.

"You should," the guitarist said, grinning and elbowing Judd lightly. "Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to spread the word? And to win? We need you as quarter."

"You're a quarterback?" Lionel asked, grinning. "You never told me that!"

"_Varsity_ MVP quarterback," Chris put in.

"Dude, that's so cool!" Lionel said. He and Ryan slapped high fives in agreement and awe.

Judd shrugged. "It's not _that_ great. This guy, however, was a star varsity running back as a freshman." The older boy thumped Chris on the back.

Chris grinned. "Nothing big. I'm just fast. That's why I play soccer, too."

"You on varsity soccer, too?" Ryan asked.

"Captain," Chris announced proudly.

"Soccer's my favorite sport!" Ryan exclaimed. "Think you could teach me a few tricks?"

"Sure thing, just stop on by anytime," Chris said with a grin.

Jordan rolled her eyes and pulled Chris toward the Corvette. "Quit bragging," she said with a laugh. "Let's just get going."

As they sat down, Chris winked at her. "I guess I won't even get started on basketball."

She glared at him. "How many sports do you play?"

"Just three. Don't worry. I did play baseball as a kid, but that wasn't really my strong point. Actually, I sucked. I remember the center fielder having to take over right field as well because I was so bad." Chris smirked at the memory. He switched the car into gear and began the drive towards the house.

"So you're not the total jock, then," Jordan said sarcastically.

"Well, I play three out of how many sports? No, I'm not a total jock at all. Never even set foot on a cricket pitch." He glanced at her with a half smile that sent Jordan's heart into a frenzy. "You?"

"Huh?" she asked, shaking away her feelings for him again.

"You? Sports?"

"Uh, volleyball and softball. I'm not great, though. I did cheer freshman year, but the drama was too much for me. I quit about halfway through."

He nodded slightly. "I remember you, now."

"You remember me from Geometry and Journalism?" she asked.

He grinned. "Of course! You were probably the only reason I passed Geometry, and Journalism was so much fun once I got moved next to you!"

She blushed. "I made it fun?"

"Well, yeah. You're a great girl anyways, and I thought you were... well I thought you were hot... and sitting next to you was a lot better than sitting next to my ex."

She nodded, remembering the couple at the beginning of the semester, and after they had broken up. Chris had seemed so sad and depressed until he switched seats with Hannah, who had been moved by the teacher because of how talkative she was with Jordan. "Yeah, I remember."

Chris gave a little nervous laugh. "Yeah. Look, I'm still not completely over her. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, anything. Have you thought about anyone you can put on bass?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Not yet. Just keep praying about it, and God will put someone there."

She nodded. "I know. So what are you thinking of playing for the service?"

"Well, we can't go all insane worship at first if we want the undecided to come back. So I was thinking of playing something different. Like... I don't know. Nickelback, Three Days Grace? Something like that that we can link to Christ somehow."

Jordan nodded. "I'll think of something."

* * *

Chris sat in his room that night, still remembering his previous girlfriend that he and Jordan had briefly discussed in the car. He couldn't help but compare Cassie to Jordan. He was sure he had fallen in love with Cassie, but she never returned the feeling. When he had tried to describe it, she left him sitting alone in the resturant. The next day, he had seen her making out with one of his friends, and Chris was heartbroken. He still was.

Yet he was now feeling all the wounds she had left heal. God had helped him realize that life would go on, and had placed someone in his life who could mend the tears of his heart: Jordan. He was unsure if pursuing a relationship when he was supposed to bring people closer to God was a smart idea however. Whispering a quick prayer, he picked up his guitar and began to play.

* * *

Jordan sat on the bed in her room, thinking. The entire day was challenging for her. She had prayed and prayed for the feeling to pass, but all she wanted was to be with Chris. The simple flirting they had exchanged, the kiss, their songs... all made the feeling stronger. She'd always hated what Cassie had done to Chris, even before Jordan started to fall for him. But when he revealed that he still was hurt by that, her heart sank and her anger towards the girl strengthened. It hurt Jordan as well. Chris still had feelings for a woman who had treated him like dirt, yet didn't want to date Jordan even though she cared for him more than Cassie ever would. Jordan sighed in frustration. She'd always known guys were confusing, but Chris was probably the most difficult guy she'd ever met.

Then she heard a noise through the wall, and smiled to herself when she made out the tunes of Chris's Taylor. Pressing her ear up against the barrier, she strained to hear the guitar. Then, her grin grew when she heard his voice. She had never noticed the way his voice sounded gravelly, yet pure at the same time. It was like no voice she'd ever heard before. And she began to make out the words to one of her favorite songs, sung softly by a boy making her go crazy, and fought to keep back the tears that sprung to her eyes before wondering what caused them.

"This time, This place  
Misused, Mistakes  
Too long, Too late  
Who was I to make you wait  
Just one chance  
Just one breath  
Just in case there's just one left  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know

"That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore

"On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand  
I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything but I won't give up  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know

"That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore

"So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
But you know, you know, you know

"I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go "

As the song concluded, Jordan couldn't help but tiptoe to Chris's barely cracked open door and peek in. She saw him bent over his guitar, thinking to himself. She sighed inwardly and turned to go back to her room, only to be stopped by the creaking of his door opening all the way. She turned to face him. "Sorry, I just heard you and--"

She was cut off suddenly by his lips crushing against hers. Bewilderment consumed her for a moment before she realized what was happening.

Chris was kissing her.

* * *

AWWWWW... Wasn't that chapter the emotional roller coaster? idk... I really wanted to keep them apart for a while just for the story's sake, but I couldn't help myself... they _had_ to be together, you know? :)

Chris and Jordan forever. 3 haha.

_Pieces_ by Red  
_Far Away _by Nickelback.


End file.
